Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play an important role in regulation of gene expression. Since aberrant upregulation of their activity has been linked to various cancers including leukemic disorders, inhibition of HDACs has emerged as a potential strategy in anticancer therapy. The short chain fatty acids, butyrate and valproate (2-propylvalerate) are effective as HDAC inhibitors at millimolar concentrations [1]. They have been shown to induce, depending on their concentration, monocytic differentiation [2-4] and/or apoptosis in several types of human myeloid leukemic cells [3,[5][6][7]. HDACs have been also identified as molecular targets of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) [8]. Neutrophilic differentiation of normal myeloid cells by ATRA is mediated through the nuclear retinoic acid receptor α (RARα). In the absence of ligand, RARα interacts with nuclear corepressor proteins to form a complex including HDAC1 or HDAC2, resulting in transcriptional repression or silencing. Physiological concentrations of ATRA induce dissociation of the nuclear repressor complex and recruitment of coactivators with histone acetyltransferase activity. This permits the transcriptional activation of differentiation-related genes. In APL cells, the gene encoding RARα appears to be involved in chromosomal translocations, producing several types of RAR-fusion proteins [8,9]. Approximately 98% of APL cases have the t(15;17) translocation leading to the PML-RARα (promyelocytic leukemia protein/RARα) fusion protein. Although ATRA binds to PML-RARα with an affinity comparable to normal RARα, the dissociation of the nuclear repressor complex from PML-RARα and subsequent differentiation occur only at pharmacological doses of ATRA. In contrast, a less common variant of APL with the t(11;17) translocation and the resultant PLZF-RARα (promyelocytic zinc finger protein/RARα) fusion protein has been found resistant to ATRA. This resistance arises from the presence of additional binding site for the nuclear repressor complex in the PLZF moiety of the fusion protein which is insensitive to
Received February 3, 2010Differentiation of myeloid leukemic cells may result in less sensitivity to various apoptotic stimuli. We examined whether human leukemia HL-60 cells differentiating by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) acquired resistance to the apoptogenic activity of two histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, butyrate and valproate. In undifferentiated cells, the cytotoxicity of both butyrate and valproate was associated with activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway since we observed dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential, induction of caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities, appearance of sub-G1 DNA and loss of plasma membrane asymmetry and/or integrity. Both HDAC inhibitors were also able to induce accumulation of undifferentiated cells in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. ATRA was found to enhance the apoptotic effect of both butyrate and valproate in undifferentiated cells. This aside, ATRA ...